MATERIALS & CERTIFICATIONS

Since our beginning we are working to make all our processes and the materials used more sustainable. Step by step we are proud to introduce improvements that will make a difference on our small scale. As we know that fashion and working with seasons is not the most sustainable business model, we feel responsible for continuing to investigate and implement improvements in environmental and sustainable terms.- Between 30% and 40% of the organic cotton used in our collections is *GOTS certified. This standard stipulates requirements throughout the supply chain for both ecological and labour conditions in textile and apparel manufacturing using organically produced raw materials. Organic production is based on a system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic, persistent pesticides or synthetic fertilisers. In addition, it includes welfare standards for animal husbandry and prohibits genetically modified organisms.- With all our cotton production we partner with The Better Cotton Initiative to improve cotton farming globally. BCI connects people and organizations throughout the cotton sector, from field to store, to promote measurable and continuing improvements for the environment, farming communities, and the economies of cotton-producing areas.- All our cotton knitwear is 100% organic cotton GOTS certified.- We use other responsible fibers such as lyocell.

DELIVERIES & PACKAGING

For quite some time we have been working on reducing the environmental impact of our packaging and deliveries.- 100% of our polybags are made of recycled plastic.- 100% of our envelopes for ecommerce are made with FSC certificate paper. It means that our paper comes from a forest evaluated and certified as being managed according to the correct social, economic and environmental standards. Also, these envelopes were created for being reused.- 100% of our hangtags are made with 100% recycled paper.- We compensate 100% of our ecommerce deliveries’ CO2 emissions with the UPS Carbon Neutral program.

PRODUCTION

In Portugal, the textile industry is one of the oldest and most traditional; the significance of textiles for the country is very important, both in economic and social terms.Their extensive experience, the high quality of the products and the proximity (all our factories are only 2 hours by car from our office) are the reasons for our choosing of Portugal as the production destination for 100% of our products. We like to work hand in hand with our suppliers and partners. We consider this the best way to learn and continue to improve our processes, both in design and in production or logistics.Constant dialogue is the key to learning. Talking with people, knowing the story and understanding the processes are fundamental pillars for organic growth with factories and sustainable production, starting from the design process.We have spoken with some of our factories to learn more about their history and production processes.

INTRO

Claudia: A large part of the employees in the productive areas are people from the community, who live close to the company, so the impact of keeping the community active at work is very positive. On the other hand, the company has always given financial and social support to local institutions, such as hospitals and residences, being a very active part of its community.The company has changed a lot since its foundation in 1981. At the beginning it was a small garment factory, but over the years, with the know-how acquired, it has grown a lot and now it covers almost all production areas: pattern making, cutting, tailoring, dry cleaning, laundry, finishing…Despite the instability of recent years and the consequent rise in all costs, we have continued to work hand in hand with our clients and we are growing together with them. We take care of providing solutions to all their needs, especially in terms of sustainability in products and processes, which are increasingly requested and sought after by the entire market.

MATERIALS, SUPPLY CHAIN AND SUSTAINABILITY

Claudia: Sustainability has a very important and central position in our company. We believe that this is the path and the future, not only for us but for the entire textile industry. We have some practices in progress, which for us are already basic and transversal to each and every one of the processes.As for raw materials, we have different certificates that guarantee their sustainability.- GOTS certification that allows us to produce more sustainable organic cotton and also guarantees the sustainability of subsequent processes.- Lenzing Certification that guarantees the use of cellulose fibers from sustainable forests.- Recycled Claim Standard Certification that allows customers to have properly certified recycled items.- Reinvestment in cotton production areas through the BCI program, of which we are members.Regarding chemical products, we require all our suppliers to comply with REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and restriction of Chemicals) and we work hand in hand with them in the research and development of more eco-friendly products.

NEXT STEPS

NEXT STEPSClaudia: We are constantly innovating our processes, adapting to the constant changes and improvements needed by that the market and the world.We have a project, already underway, to separate our textile waste to produce recycled yarn. This is increasingly in demand in the market and it helps us to give a second life to the waste that we generate with our manufactured products.We are also implementing continuous improvement measures to optimize water consumption. In recent years, we have managed to reduce consumption by a thirdAs for the energy area, we are in full development of projects that will lead us to carbon neutrality.